


Dangling

by Rowboat_Girlyman



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Arumika Week, Arumika Week 2019, Attempt at Humor, Day four: Tied Up, Embarrassment, F/M, compromising positions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 08:02:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20775242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowboat_Girlyman/pseuds/Rowboat_Girlyman
Summary: A training accident leads to Armin and Mikasa being stuck in a compromising position.





	Dangling

**Author's Note:**

> I felt bad only having one prompt fill done, so I quickly did this one in one sitting the day before.

Omni-directional mobility gear is dangerous, stupidly dangerous. In fact, it’s probably the second most dangerous thing on earth.

All it really is it a whole bunch of straps and wires holding two highly pressurised gas canisters which can fire off deadly sharp hooks and flexible steel cables, all of which is controlled by two small handles both of which, to add to the danger, have a flesh cleaving blade stuck on top.

All this is thrown together and then stuck on a person, who is then sent off to fight titans — the _most_ dangerous things on earth.

It takes years of training to use correctly and even then if you make the smallest mistake or fuck up, you’ll end up crashing into a building, tree or straight into a titan’s mouth.

Armin Arlert of the 104th Cadet corp was very aware of this danger, especially now that he was careening out of control toward a tree.

“OHHHH SSSSHHHHHIII-” he screamed, trying to reel in his misfired hook. It had been a silly mistake really. A second hesitation meant that rather than the hook sinking into the tree trunk, it had wrapped around one of the branches, yanking him off balance.

As the tree got closer and closer, Armin braced himself for what was likely to be a harrowing impact.

“ARMIN!” There was a cry to his right, and the air was forced from his lungs as someone crashed into his side, pushing him out of the way of the tree.

“I’ve got you!” a familiar female voice shouted; her strong arms wrapped him holding him in a bridal style.

Armin let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Mikasa. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He gave his friend a nervous smile. Thank God that instructor Shadis had appointed her as his training partner, that could have ended badly...

*Crack*

The sound seemed to echo through the forest, and from his perch in Mikasa’s arms, Armin could see exactly what has caused it.

The hook that has caused his near-crash had been torn free by the blow, and with his finger still tightly squeezing the trigger it was now flying towards them at an alarming speed. It sliced clean though one of Mikasa’s cables, causing them both to plummet.

They twisted and rolled, the world spinning around them as they fell. Armin heard screaming but wasn’t sure if it was her or him. Maybe it was both of them.

In desperation, Armin fired off his sole remaining hook, having no time or target to aim at, he just prayed that it hit something.

The fact they came to a sudden stop less than 5 metres from the ground mean it had hit something. The cables and ropes which had wrapped around them in their mad descent were pulled taut and tighten squishing them together so fast their heads collided.

“Armin, are you okay?!” Mikasa, who was seemly unaffected by the headbutt, sounded breathless and ever so slightly shaken, by their death plummet.

Armin, who was definitely affected by the headbutt, slurred out a “Yeah.” and tried to blink the strange lights in his vision.

They dangled there, pinned face to face with only an inch or two of space between them, unsure what to do next. Mikasa tried to wriggle her arm free but couldn’t, the cable tied around them kept them pinned to her sides. “Armin… I can’t move. Can you?”

Much like his friend Armin squirmed and fidgeted, and with great difficulty managed to get his arm free.

“I’m out!”

Look around and saw Mikasa’s ODM handle dangling just out of reach. He reached out for it, either to use to blade to cut the cables or retract the hook to free them. “Nearly… got it…” his fingers brushed the handle, which swayed in the wind, “Come on…”

He buried his face into her shoulder, giving him that extra inch he needed to grab it. “Ha! Got it-”. Unfortunately for Armin and Mikasa all the shifting and moving they had done trying to get free, had shaken one of ODM anchors out of the tree it was impaled in, causing them to spin upside down and drop another 3 metres before stopping.

The single tether wrapped around their ankles was the only thing holding them off the ground. This did have one _unfortunate_ side effect when one considered the height difference between the two friends.

They were no longer stuck face to face, but now Armin was face to face to something else. He could already feel his face turn red and started burning hot enough to fry an egg.

_‘Why do you hate me, God?’ _he silently lamented.

Mikasa looked down (up?) at the tuff of blond hair buried in against her chest, the cables having squeezed them even closer together in their latest fall. She fidgeted slightly but quickly stopped when she realised just how close their bodies were.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and her cheeks started to redden as she felt the heat from Armin’s face against her breasts.

“C…can you move, Armin?” she asked, even though she knew what the answer would likely be.

The blond makes a noise which can only be described as a defeated whimper and shook his head.

So, as they dangled there, upside down, held up by their feet, the two of them resign themselves to waiting for the other cadets to find them and free them.

They wait in agonisingly awkward silence, as both of them try to avoid moving as much as possible. It’s especially torturous for Mikasa as Armin’s shallow breathing is almost ticklish and she has to employ a great deal of her indomitable willpower not to squirm.

Eventually, after what seems like hours, their friends finally arrive.

As the two of them are gently lowered to the ground and untied, they both know they will never live this down and that they will be continuously reminded of this day until their last.

Eren’s near-hysterical laughter when he first saw them was proof enough.

Jean stood a good distance away, watching with a sullen face as the two trapped cadets are finally separated, each jumping away from the other with bright red faces as Armin starts to blurt out apologies. It doesn’t go unnoticed how Armin is slightly bent forward as he babbles as if trying to hide something.

_“That could have been me.” _he whispered to himself, with more than a twinge of bitterness in his words. 

He had been so close to being assigned with Mikasa for this training session, so very close. Then Shadis had changed his mind at the last minute, and he had been stuck with Yeager of all people.

As Connie walked past him, his eye’s shining with mirth at the position they had found Armin and Mikasa in, Jean wiped his hand across his back.

“Ah! What the hell, Jean?! What’d you put on me?!”

“My hopes and dreams.” He said as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> It's crappy I know but I wanted to do more than one fic for AM week.


End file.
